FDA warns users of popular weight-loss drugs to watch for counterfeits
Weight loss is a common New Year's resolution and studies show more people are turning to weight loss drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy.
Both are GLP-1 drugs, which stands for glucagon-like peptide-1, a natural hormone that helps regulate blood sugar, slow down digestion and reduce appetite.
But as GLP-1 drugs spike in popularity, the FDA says hazardous counterfeits are also on the rise and pose serious health risks.
Online search brings up dozens of adds for quick prescriptions
Liz Miller says she struggled with her weight her entire life, but it got worse during the pandemic.
"I was living in a studio apartment on the Upper East side working 15-hour days. I wasn't leaving my apartment for two or three weeks at a time," Miller said.
As things started to reopen, she started exercising, but not enough.
"I just needed something to change," Miller said.
In 2023, at more than 180 pounds, Miller sought help from her doctor.
"[I said] 'I'm eating healthy, I'm moving more than I did the last two years' and he said, 'Alright, let's try and get you a prescription," Miller said.
"Problem was it was a year and a half ago, Ozempic and all the things were blowing up and it was very, very impossible to find the actual name brand and no pharmacy would even look at me because of the shortage for the really diabetic patients. So it never even made its way through insurance," she said.
Miller then searched online.
"I Googled. I found one company who pretty much just handed me the prescription, they didn't look at bloodwork," she said. "[It] said, alright fill out this form, pay your money and we'll ship it over to you, and that just made me very, very uncomfortable."
A quick Google search brings up dozens of companies with ads stating "Get a prescription in five minutes," "Take a quiz to qualify," and "Free overnight delivery." The Coalition for a Safer Web found several advertisements saying, "No prescription needed" on TikTok.
The Food and Drug Administration requires a prescription for GLP-1 drugs.
How to spot a counterfeit Ozempic needle
In November, Customs and Border Protection showed CBS News counterfeit GLP-1 drugs seized at John F. Kennedy International Airport over a two-day period, including one box that was packaged as a puzzle.
The FDA has also released photos showing the difference between an authentic Ozempic needle and a counterfeit one.
The agency says the blue area on the side should contain a lot number and no other text.
"Deal with a pharmacy, a legitimate reliable pharmacy with licensed pharmacists," says Claire Rosenzweig, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau New York. "Going to foreign pharmacies is a bit of a red flag you have to be wary."
Patients should know proper dosage and injection process, FDA says
Miller ended up paying for a personalized program through IV Drips, which is headquartered in Midwood, Brooklyn and has licensed nurse practitioners all over the country.
"They looked at my bloodwork to make sure I was going to be able to handle the drug and then I had a FaceTime conversation," said Miller. "Anytime I had an issue I would just text the nurse practitioner if I had questions, concerns."
IV Drips CEO Bracha Banayan is also a nurse practitioner who says she took Ozempic after two years of dieting and exercise failed to help her lose pandemic-related weight gain.
"My lifestyle changed," Banayan said. "I was always snacking, wasn't eating well. It was almost like a spiral effect."
She said IV Drips fills personalized prescriptions at a licensed compounding pharmacy, and that educating patients about dosing and the injection process is key.
"We use these drugs as a tool to help you develop new habits, not as a quick fix," Banayan said.
The FDA, which encourages health providers to counsel patients on dosing the medication, said it has received reports of "adverse events ... dosing errors ... from patients measuring and self-administering incorrect doses."
"Medication is supposed to make you feel full for longer, decrease your food noise," said Banayan. "It helps you start listening to your body ... If you're on these meds and never hungry and [this is a] quick fix to lose 30 pounds in one month, that's very dangerous."
Weight-loss drug users should monitor muscle mass, experts say
Experts say it's important for patients to track everything, especially muscle mass. There are machines that can help or patients can use a tape measure.
At Life Time on 23rd Street in Manhattan, Lead Personal Trainer Wilkins Petit-Frere uses the "InBody" to measure muscle mass, body fat and water content for his two clients on GLP-1 drugs.
"One of the main things we've been focusing on is heavy weight training because a lot of people take the drug. That's all they do is take the drug and don't work out, which leads them to lose a massive amount of muscle," said Petit-Frere. "We have to keep track of her protein intake, she has to have a high fiber diet while she's taking this drug because for some reason it acts with your digestive system."
Life Time recently launched a longevity clinic with programs that can be tailored to clients on GLP-1 drugs.
Miller said she lost around 50 pounds in the last year and a half. With new habits, she's now tapering off the drug.
When asked if she could have dropped the weight without the help, Miller said, "I'm glad I didn't. I might have been able to, but I'm glad I didn't because your body is changing so drastically, and you don't want to go through that alone."
"This has just helped me, it was not a cheat code it was not me saying I'm going to continue eating and drinking like crap," she added. "I think this drug can change the world if people let it and the stigma is unnecessary. People need help ... We're not meant to do everything ourselves and if there's this drug that allows people to feel healthier and could help with this epidemic of obesity, let's let it do that."
The Better Business Bureau has additional advice for people looking to get a prescription for Ozempic which can be found here and here.
